FFA fight looms over Socceroos wage bill

FOOTBALL Federation Australia is on a collision course with the players union over an estimated Socceroos $500,000 wage bill for East Asian Cup qualifying duty.

FFA chief executive David Gallop laid down the gauntlet declaring the Socceroos will not receive the match fees proposed by Professional Footballers Australia's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

But PFA's legal counsel Brendan Schwab says the FFA is expected to pay Socceroos 20-man squad the full CBA.

"The current Socceroos CBA does not accommodate a qualification tournament of this nature with four games in seven days," stated Gallop last night.

"Our proposal of a fixed tournament fee of $10,000 and a 30 per cent share of prizemoney from the EAFF finals is fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

"We hope to have more talks with the PFA to reach a sensible solution.

"(And) in relation to the Hyundai A-League CBA renewal, there's a timeline to negotiate that in 2013.

"The two issues are totally separate."

Schwab said after the FFA accepted an invitation to participate in the qualifying tournament in Hong Kong the FFA has tried waving the CBA's $6500 Socceroos match fee.

Players also have a $240 a day allowance.

"The FFA did put in a request to have the CBA waved before the East Asian Cup qualifiers," said Schwab from the Netherlands yesterday.

"There is no agreement, the CBA will continue to apply."

It's understood the estimated prize money for winning in South Korea next year was much less than $2 million which FFA officials expected when negotiating to enter the tournament.

Now the fiscal shortfall has potential to upset the future Socceroos budget with East Asian Football officials still not determining what prizemoney is on offer for participants Australia, Japan, China and South Korea.

The East Asian Cup website listed the 2010 prize money for the four participating teams with the winner promised $500,000 down to $150,000 for fourth place.

It's understood the 2013 tournament prize money will be slashed to about half of what the 2010 tournament paid its four nations.

Schwab also revealed there is no CBA beyond April 30 next year meaning players have a right to vote for a free A-League market as clubs' financial safety net - the salary cap - may be abolished.

Currently only the US Major League Soccer competition and the A-League are the only leagues on the planet with salary cap restrictions.

The A-League has had a salary cap in place since 2005 - the debut season - in a ploy to make clubs conservative spenders.

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